Let’s face the chicken gumbo and dance.

The genius of Stan Freberg is on display front and centre in this vintage soup commercial. An author, actor, comedian, musician, radio personality, puppeteer and advertising creative director, Stan began his professional career in 1943, and was working well into his late 80’s. Clearly during the course of his seventy year career… (that’s right, I said SEVENTY) ….he wore many hats (and I’m guessing quite a few wigs as well). His work in advertising was witty, ingenious, and always funny. This ad also features the incomparable Ann Miller; famous for her dancing in MGM musicals, and for her acting roles in over 50 films. (including her last acting gig as “Coco” in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive). But we can’t forget Dave Willock’s contribution to this ad, his deadpan delivery is the perfect balance to Ann Miller’s mania. He was one of the most prolific character actors of films, television series, and television commercials for decades. He’s one of those actors whose name you don’t know, but whose face and voice are instantly recognisable from his work in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s (he even played “Daddy”, the father of Blanche and Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane!)

I too like to make a big production out of everything.

1 thought on “Let’s face the chicken gumbo and dance.

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